Although it makes me sad to see homeless people about, I canunderstand how untenable this experience must have been. A tramp goton the underground in Vienna once and his odour gradually permeatedthe train and once it got to me I could hardly breathe. I was SOrelieved that I reached my stop shortly afterwards, it was TERRIBLE! Therefore it can cause serious discomfort.

In this situation I would have said something to the driver to try tofind a solution. I do not think I would have asked for a refund,however.

How was your life put in danger? Not all homeless people aredangerous. Granted your trip might have been a bit uncomfortable, butyou chose to go Greyhound instead of American airlines first class.Greyhound owes you nothing.

Lady, whether you like it or not, homeless people are people and areentitled to be treated with the same respect as their fellow humanbeings--like you, for example. You seem upset that you had to sharespace with a homeless man. If Greyhound gave him a seat he has all therights and privileges that you do on that bus. Kind of freaks you out,huh? BTW, how did you know he was homeless? Plenty of stinky,ill-kempt people have homes and families somewhere.

You also imply that this fellow human being posed a safety issue. Kindof a stretch, don't you think? I mean it's like saying that you are asecurity threat because you are a cranky entitlement queen and mightexplode in rage putting the driver under duress. Or you might wear toomuch Eau de Privilege and sicken others with your unique perfume.Forget about quoting stats that many homeless are mentally ill--Iagree with that *but* mental illness =\= unsafe. Besides there areplenty of us mentally ill folks who run around unsupervised butshowered.

Stinky air hurt the people at Love Canal. Not you. Also, I think aGreyhound driver has a permanent place on the universal "beenthere/seen that" list. So just stick a kleenex up you nose and Peaceon Earth, Good Will Toward Men in this season of the celegration ofour shared humanity.

I haven't in a long time, but back when I was riding there were alwayspeople with strong odors on board. That's kind of the nature oftravel by a slow enough method that some people are sitting there forhours and hours with only very brief breaks to clean up in publicrestrooms.

I also recall that it was a potentially social time: I could learn alot about those smelly strangers, and they could learn a lot aboutsmelly me. I remember one time sitting near a woman who had taken herkids and left an abusive husband -- and also near two other women whohad left abusive relationships some time before. It was one of themost thought-provoking discussions I've ever had.

Of course, there was the time the white supremacist sat next to me andwanted to discuss our shared heritage in the master race. That was alittle bit scary and extremely unpleasant. And nobody else on the busliked me after word of what the guy was saying got around.

But overall, even with the odors, I recall Greyhound as a mode oftransportation where you could meet cool people. Some of whom couldhave used a shower.

Being pregnant the slightest bad scent throws me off. While being inthe situation that you were is no fun, if he paid to be on the busthen he has the same rights as you do.
If you didn't like it, was there not another bus that you could havetaken (I would assume since NYC is a VERY popular)
What I would have done, was not taken the bus, spoken with Greyhoundto try and either get on another bus, or get a refund. If I got arefund I would then proceed to try and take the train there.

Can I just say, for the record, that I am embarassed to live in thesame state as someone who posts this drivel?

"Why would your company subject a captive audience to such discomforton any schedule much less an overnight schedule where customersneed/want to rest and be comfortable." It's not all about you all thetime. Walk a mile in this guy's shoes and sleep on a bench or in ahomeless shelter before you criticize.

If Greyhound did give this guy a seat to get him to NYC, I thank youfor your act of kindness and charity. This OP could learn a lot fromyou.

In any group of people, there are going to be some with an attitudelike this. But having a heartfelt do-gooder's attitude toward thehomeless doesn't really do them any good either. You have to actuallydo something.
I have a friend who does. And since I've gone with him and groups ofhigh school students to distribute food and clothing to the homelessin NYC, as a monitor, there are a few things people seem to beforgetting here that need mentioning.
When we distributed food, we never used the same paper soup bowlstwice. We never allowed the students any physical contact whatsoever.We never gave money, only food and clothing. We never allowed thestudents to be any significant distance from the monitors andespecially not out of sight. The reason? Behavioral problems are muchmore pronounced in the homeless, and sickness is rampant.
Do what you can. But don't forget, there is a documented risk inbeing around them. Be human, but careful and you can help them withoutharming yourself. The best success story is, that one of them marriedone of the assistants, they now have a happy family, and he has becomedirector of the group. Wow!

Dionne,
First count yourself blessed you are not homeless. Secondly, stopbehaving as if you were aboard a private jet, sipping champagne, andnibbling on brie. You were on a greyhound bus, anyone with a tickethas just as much right to be there as you! If you have a problem witha particular member of the "captive audience" (huh!) there is a simplesolution...Get Off!

I thought i saw some pretty mean-spirited letters in my day, but thisone actually disgusts me.

Dionne, you should count your lucky stars that you didn't end uphomeless. Do you have any idea what its like to wait in line at ashelter, be denied because all the beds are taken (which, is almostevery night.) and have to sleep under an awning to a building? Or tolive under 2 umbrellas propped up against a picnic bench in front ofrite aid, having such severe schizophrenia that you think that anypasser byers are the CIA coming to arrest you?

Until recently, I dated a wonderful guy for four years. Three monthsafter we started dating, it was February (brrr) in Minneapolis and hewas approached by a man appearing to be homeless with a sob story asto why he needed some money (the made-up stories get to be identicalafter a while). My guy handed $20 over. I asked him later, "Why doyou always give homeless people money?"

Boyfriend: "Because my mother was homeless."

His mother, an incredibly intelligent, vibrant, social woman, was hitby a car. He was living far away with his father at the time and wasa minor, so he couldn't do much to help her. She was left with abrain injury and unable to work. She had neurological problems andended up homeless. On Valentine's Day one year, still homeless, shewas raped and stabbed to death. Her murder was never solved.

There but for the grace of God go ALL OF US. Including you, Dionne. Although I dare say, I've had encounters with indigent people,including some stinky ones, whom I'd much rather share a bus with thanyou.

I don't usually do this (or, really, ever at all), but consideringwhat time of year it is and how much people are screaming at the topof their lungs on this site about how retailers are taking Christ outof Christmas by not specifically acknowledging the holiday, the truthof the matter is that what you are writing about is what's really theproblem.

Considering that, I'm sharing something with you that someone oncetried to share with me; something that seems somewhat appropriate,given the situation. You can take it anyway you please; as an analogy,as a parable, or even as the literal truth. But however you choose tointerpret it, I would hope that you learn something from it.

"But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angelswith him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Before him allthe nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one fromanother, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will setthe sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the Kingwill tell those on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father,inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat; I was thirsty, and yougave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; naked, and youclothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and youcame to me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we seeyou hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink? When didwe see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you?When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?'

"The King will answer them, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch asyou did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it tome.' Then he will say also to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me,you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil andhis angels; for I was hungry, and you didn't give me food to eat; Iwas thirsty, and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and youdidn't take me in; naked, and you didn't clothe me; sick, and inprison, and you didn't visit me.'

"Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see youhungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison,and didn't help you?'

"Then he will answer them, saying, 'Most certainly I tell you,inasmuch as you didn't do it to one of the least of these, you didn'tdo it to me.' These will go away into eternal punishment, but therighteous into eternal life."

As a veteran of the NYC subway system, I've often shared my ride withthe homeless. Instead of disdain, I try to use the approach of "therebut for the grace of (insert deity here) go I.

If you are going to use any kind of public transportation, be ittrain, plane or bus, you have to accept the fact that you will beriding with all sorts of different people. If you don't like it, buyor rent a car to drive to NY. Then you can control who your fellowpassengers will be.

Some people are more sensitive to smells than others. I wouldn't blamethe bus company for my olfactory sensitivity, but I know I would havedifficulty being in a room with someone who hasn't showered and itwould be up to me to move or hope the other person is aware ofthemselves and doing the best they can. That's all you can hope forbut they have the right to take the bus if they have the money.

Also you don't know for sure they are homeless, they could work anight job in a dirty job and have no other means of transportation.They could be homeless, but maybe not. Many homeless people cannotafford a house to shower in, but they are paying for a gym membership($30-$50 month) and living elsewhere but it affords them a dailyworkout, swim, social life and shower without anyone else being thewiser to it. You just can't label someone homeless without trulyknowing.

You must be one of the dumbest, maybe even the dumbest human being Ihave ever come across. What a shame to be you!!!! Do you think that"homeless" man (needless to say you don't know for sure if he washomeless) has a way of taking a bath as often as you do? Shame onyou. Yes, I am not saying that it is easy seating next to someone whodoesn't necessarily shower, but who are you to say anything? And if Iwas working for greyhound, I put my foot up your ass for being sodumb. If the man paid for his ticket, he has just as much right as youdo. Maybe from now on they shouldn't let idiots like you ride thebus. Get a f*ing life!

This falls under the category of complaints that I hope is a joke. Although honestly, this is a really sick joke if it is one. My firstthought is that you saw that Greyhound allowed someone to enter thebus that looked like they could be homeless (whether they were or not)and you then exaggerated the presence of a smell. Even if the wholebus stunk though, there is no excuse for complaining about this. Showsome compassion.

I doubt it actually endangered the welfare of anyone; however, I doagree that if I am paying for a bus ticket them I should NOT have tosmell someone else's BO. Do not listen to the other people posting.

If someone is not able to do the basic function of taking a f'ingbath, then keep them out of public and the heck away from me.

I know that on airplanes (maybe not ALL airlines) they do not allowoffensive body odor patrons fly without cleaning themselves up atleast a little before they board. Since when are Greyhound bus ridersconsidered on an any less "tier" than the airplane riders? IfGreyhound had refused to clean the toilet on the bus and it wassmelly through the whole ride would the comments on this letter havebeen different? Why?

First of all, if that man paid, or someone paid for, his ticket onthat bus, neither you, nor anyone else has the right to deny himthat,no matter how offensive he smelled. Even if Greyhound gave him afree ride as a gesture of goodwill, it doesn't make him any lessworthy to be on that bus than you.

Secondly your ridiculous dramatization,culminating in a gratuitous"gimme grab" are an insult and embarrassment to the human race duringthis holiday season.

For your sake, Ebenezer, I hope you learn a valuable lesson from thisexperience.

How do you know he was homeless? But I'll grant you, you're quitelikely right, and perhaps Greyhound was taking him somewhere for freeas an act of kindness, showing a generosity of spirit that is sadlylacking in your letter. Poor you - you had to smell somethingunpleasant for four hours. I wonder where that man is sleepingtonight? If he got anything to eat? If he has anyone who gives a damabout what happens to him?

I suppose I am endangered everytime I walk into a department store,with all those hussy's spraying perfume! I get a head ache and sick tomy stomach each time I am dumb enough to enter through a departmentstore entrance vs the mall entrance.

Dumb letter. You were on a freaking Grayhound, what more do youexpect? If this man can drive during torrential downpours, snowblizzards, extreame heat then I think a stinky man would not hinderhim a bit.

My sympathies are with the poor man you describe so callously. Yes itsucks to be trapped in close quarters with someone whose hygeine ispoor, but just imagine how much worse it was for that man who verywell may have had nowhere to go to bathe, eat, or sleep. I hopethings improve for him, whoever he is, and I hope you get a littlecompassion this holiday season.

Oh my god, a homeless man?! How did you ever survive the smellradiating from that sorry excuse of a human?

It is a shame that Greyhound provided a service to all peopleregardless of what kind of offensive odors they carried with them.Hopefully they will change their policy. All passengers must maintaina non-offensive smell to ride this bus. You may not smell like: feces,urine, alcohol, perfume, body odor or anything that may be deemedoffensive by any persons. As a precaution, no homeless person may useour services and all services may be denied if you happen to passgas.

In all seriousness, that man was not endangering the welfare of anyonesimply by his smell. If you are uncomfortable with the possibility ofhaving to deal with a poor homeless mans conditions on publictransportation then maybe that just isn't for you. Next time driveyourself or hire a driver, instead of making a big stink about it.

I really hope there is no compensation for your "inconvenience" or youlack of compassion for this man.

Before I worked up the courage to fly, I had to take greyhound from N.Virginia to S. Texas, which is almost a 48 hour trip. A handful ofpeople were going in the same direction and were on the same buses. Bythe end of the trip, I am sure that they smelled like that homelessman. I am positive that I did. Could you believe that our drivers justfought through the smell and got us all to our destination safely?Those greyhound drivers are pretty hardcore.

I don't think so - - we're talking about Greyhound here - - and yourrequest for a refund or travel voucher is unreasonable andover-the-top. You got where you were going safely, right? Contractcomplete.